Arizona’s judicial system is similar to that of other states in this region. Courts start close to their people and progress by steps to more complicated and further removed cases and jurisdiction. The justice of the peace hears civil and small claims, while municipal courts hear town and city violations. Each county has a clerk of the superior courts whose function is to maintain the court calendar and records. The superior courts hear both civil and criminal cases of their own, including divorces, as well as appeals from justices of the peace and municipal (or city magistrate or police) courts in their counties. The supreme court functions statewide and hears extraordinary writs and appeals from the court of appeals, which sits at Phoenix and Tucson, and also hears both writs and appeals from the county superior courts. The FHL has microfilm copies of many court records for many counties.